skybox not working

when i load up the map it bugs out and i can see in the ground.
but when i looked the compiler process window i saw.
Error: Skybox vtf files for skybox/sky_alpinestorm_01 weren't compiled with the same size texture and/or same flags!
Can't load skybox file skybox/sky_alpinestorm_01 to build the default cubemap!
what does this mean. and how do i fix this.

I'll try to provide more information about this tpoic, since this bothers me as well.

So the thing he's refering to is this problem:
And it somehow messe up with my cubemaps, even though I can't see any difference. For some reason when I try to build cubemaps the console give me the error that it can't properly build cubemaps, because it can't locate the skybox file, while the sky is present in the game and functions properly. Right now, I've made a simple skybox testing map, to see if anything's going to go wrong. I even added a few shining props in the map, to see if they will have that annoying purple effect on them. And as a result, they didn't. Even thoug I haven't placed or activated any of the cubemaps.
So my guess is that this error can be ignored, but I still want to know if there's any way to fix it so it won't bother me.

You're right, that error can be ignored, but like iiboharz said, it's unrelated to Kobolite's problem. You see, TF2 skyboxes are usually made with different sized base textures (i.e. the sides are cut off below the horizon, and some don't have a bottom texture at all), so this error pops up in every compile log no matter what you do (see: Skybox vtf files for <sky> weren't compiled with the same size texture and/or same flags!). It's important to note that this only affects default cubemaps, requiring you to place cubemap entities and build your own.

There's another thing, though - if you have no cubemap entities whatsoever, the compiler will fall back the default default cubemap, which looks like this. You might not notice it unless you look closely because it's not as obnoxious as the missing texture. But as soon as you place even one env_cubemap, you get the infamous purple checkerboard on every reflective surface until you build the cubemaps yourself.

Hopefully this explains things. I'll let the thread get back on topic now

You're right, that error can be ignored, but like iiboharz said, it's unrelated to Kobolite's problem. You see, TF2 skyboxes are usually made with different sized base textures (i.e. the sides are cut off below the horizon, and some don't have a bottom texture at all), so this error pops up in every compile log no matter what you do (see: Skybox vtf files for <sky> weren't compiled with the same size texture and/or same flags!). It's important to note that this only affects default cubemaps, requiring you to place cubemap entities and build your own.

There's another thing, though - if you have no cubemap entities whatsoever, the compiler will fall back the default default cubemap, which looks like this. You might not notice it unless you look closely because it's not as obnoxious as the missing texture. But as soon as you place even one env_cubemap, you get the infamous purple checkerboard on every reflective surface until you build the cubemaps yourself.

Hopefully this explains things. I'll let the thread get back on topic now

Click to expand...

Finally! That explains why no one has ever complained about missing cubemaps on my maps even without me ever doing anything about cubemaps.